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HP offers facility-as-a-service data center model

By GCN Staff

May 06, 2014

Government forays into cloud, mobility and big data are driving agencies to deploy data centers capable of meeting big IT requirements. Organizations are choosing between modernizing and building new data centers, using cloud or colocation facilities, or combinations of each.

But the capital cost of building a data center often drives agencies toward off-premises choices. And while colocation models avoid the initial capital outlay by operating under a monthly payment mode, they also may limit flexibility and control.

To address these issues, HP announced a facility-as-a-service (FaaS) approach to data center expansion.

Using a modular approach, the customer designs specific requirements for capacity, criticality and provisioning and pays a monthly fee as part of a maintenance service agreement. In this model, the customer operates the data center and retains the advantages of owner-operated control and security while having the ability to scale the data center as needed. The data center is maintained by HP under the agreement.

According to HP, FaaS allows customers to redirect the initial expense of construction into other areas of the organization or into operating expenses for the data center, while continuing to manage their own IT.

“Previously, organizations determining their data center sourcing strategy had a number of options, but each had its difficulties,” said Rick Einhorn, vice president, Technology Services Data Center Consulting, HP.

“Now with HP Facility-as-a-Service, a new option is available that enables an organization’s CFO to switch costs from a capital to an operating expense, and provides the CIO with their own operated data center which has the flexibility to expand as the business grows.”